Abstract:

This research investigates the differences between how men and women greet and take leave of someone of the same sex in Saudi Arabia, a gender segregated society. Age, social status, relationship between participants, and setting were also tested to see if they have any effect on how Saudis greet and take leave of each other.A total of 237 participants: 127 males and 110 females were recorded in naturally occurring conversations. The participants were from all social classes and included three age groups: 18-30, 31-50, and over 50. Relationship between participants included close friends, relatives, acquaintances, and strangers. Data was collected in social and family gatherings, work, school, and the hospital. The data was analyzed in light of Brown and Levinson's (1987) politeness theory. Variables like formulaic expressions, length, and hyperbole were also tested.The results of the study indicate that age had a significant affect on how Saudis greet, take leave/reply to a leave-taking of someone of the same sex. Based on my corpus, social status had no significant affect on how Saudis greet/reply and take leave/reply of someone of the same sex. The relationship between participants showed a significant correlation with how Saudis greet/reply and take leave/reply of someone of the same sex. Setting had no significant affect of how Saudis greet and take leave of someone of the same sex. But it did show a significant affect of how Saudis reply to greetings and leave-takings of someone of the same sex. Gender did not on any significant affect on how Saudis greet and reply to greetings of someone of the same sex. Whereas, gender showed a significant correlation with how Saudis take leave and reply to a leave-taking.Results of the study indicate that women consistently took longer to greet and take leave of someone of their own sex, regardless of age, social status, relationship between participants, or setting. Women also used more metaphors and superlatives while greeting or taking leave of someone of their own sex. Women were found to repeat their greetings and leave-takings more than men.